TUSCALOOSA | A 57-year-old man is recovering from a single gunshot wound to the face after being accidentally shot on Friday.

Lt. Kip Hart, assistant commander of the Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit, said the victim was taken to DCH Regional Medical Center and is being treated for non-life threatening injuries.

The shooting occurred at approximately 12:10 p.m. when the suspect, identified as 47-year-old Fredrick Lanier Simmons, accidentally discharged the firearm while handling it recklessly, Hart said.

Simmons, who did not know the victim and had come to visit a friend, fled the residence in the 2600 block of Beech Street where the shooting occurred. He was located within minutes by authorities at a nearby residence and willfully taken into custody.

Witnesses helped police locate the firearm, the caliber of which is being withheld, and Simmons was charged with second-degree assault. Hart noted that the charge stems from reckless conduct involving a firearm that resulted in a serious injury.